King’s College London Breaks Records at 2024 Jessup Moot Court Competition
The Dickson Poon School of Law continues its impressive record of success at the International Rounds of the 2024 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington, D.C.
Five members of the mooting team in a group picture with smiles on their faces.
King’s has reached the Jessup International Rounds for the ninth consecutive year, one of the best track records in the Jessup Competition globally.
The students from The Dickson Poon School of Law won the Alona E. Evans prize for their written pleadings, which ranked second worldwide out of nearly 700 submissions — the best performance by a team at King’s.
In the oral rounds, the King’s team won all their preliminary moots against teams from Bangladesh, Turkey, New Zealand, and Venezuela. The team’s combined oral and written scoring resulted in a record third place ranking and seeding worldwide, advancing the team to the Knockout Rounds. Thereafter, the team narrowly lost in the Round of 32 to the National University of Kyiv, Ukraine. Ultimately, the team ranked in the Top 20 teams worldwide.
In preparation, the King’s team represented by Anannya Meghani, Daphne Wong, Paul Bo Jia Zhang, Rishit Harsh and Sydney Kagetsu developed a thorough knowledge of international jurisprudence and the International Court of Justice procedure. The team was coached by King’s alumni Caleb Kirton, Liam F. Holohan, Saras Sawhney and Daisy Peterson.
The continued success of King’s in the Jessup Moot Court Competition underscores our enduring tradition of excellence. This exemplary performance in the international rounds, including securing the second place Alona E. Evans prize for written pleadings and a third-place ranking in the international preliminary round rankings, demonstrates their exceptional knowledge, unwavering dedication, and diligent hard work of both team and coaches. Advancing to the global rounds for the ninth consecutive year solidifies King’s position as a leading institution in mooting. We take great pride in their achievements and welcome the latest chapter in our distinguished Jessup history. Our heartfelt congratulations to everyone involved in this extraordinary journey!
King’s has participated in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition since 2006, with an unparalleled record of success among UK universities. It reached the Grand Final in 2007, the international semi-finals on three occasions, and won the UK championships five years running, from 2016 to 2020. This year, the King’s team were UK Championship Finalists, and won Best Written Pleadings in the UK.
Now in its 65th year, Jessup is the largest and most prestigious moot court competition in the world. Teams compete by presenting oral and written pleadings in the context of a dispute between fictional countries before the International Court of Justice. This year, participants from nearly 700 law schools, representing more than 100 countries and jurisdictions, competed in the Jessup, with the International Rounds held from 30 March to 6 April in Washington, DC.
The team would like to thank the many guest judges who availed themselves to help us prepare for both the National and International Rounds. We are also grateful for the continued support by those at King’s, such as Dr Niccolò Ridi. We would also like to express special thanks to Professor Philippa Webb for her support and guidance in this simulation of real international law in the courtroom.
King’s 2024 Jessup Moot Court Competition team